Afro-soul is the quieter side of African music: songs built on voice, guitar and honest writing, not club beats. Nigeria has produced some of its finest artists, many of them shaped by the same small circle of producers. These ten songs are a good place to start.
1. Jailer by Aṣa
Aṣa’s self-titled debut album, produced by Cobhams Asuquo, went platinum and was played on radio across Europe, Asia and Africa. In 2008 she won France’s Constantin Award for the best new talent. “Jailer”, which Cobhams co-wrote, was one of its singles, alongside “Fire on the Mountain”.
By 2014 she had sold around 400,000 albums worldwide.
2. Heartbeat by Nneka (2008)
Nneka’s second album, No Longer at Ease, took its title from Chinua Achebe’s novel and mixed soul, hip-hop and reggae with political and personal writing. Its lead single, “Heartbeat”, became her first song to reach the German Top 50.
Her debut album had been called “the year’s most criminally overlooked album” by the UK’s Sunday Times. “Heartbeat” made sure she was not overlooked again.
3. That Stupid Song by Bez featuring Praiz (2011)
“That Stupid Song” began as a joke. Someone walked into the studio asking for “a stupid song”, and Bez’s producer, Cobhams Asuquo, decided to build one out of songs they had sung growing up. They invited Praiz, and recorded it the next day.
It appears on Bez’s album Super Sun, which the Boston Globe placed at number three in its top ten world music albums of 2011.
4. Ara by Brymo (2012)
“Ara” was one of the singles from Brymo’s second album, The Son of a Kapenta. Brymo went on to release a run of albums between 2013 and 2018 that critics called masterpieces, and he is one of the most respected songwriters in Nigerian music.
5. Wait for Me by Johnny Drille (2015)
Johnny Drille’s cover of Di’Ja’s “Awww” caught Don Jazzy’s attention in 2015. His debut single, “Wait for Me”, came out the same year and was nominated for Best Alternative Song at The Headies 2016. He signed to Mavin Records in 2017.
His folk-tinged soul is unlike anything else on the Mavin roster.
6. Gentleman by Ric Hassani (2016)
From his debut album, The African Gentleman, “Gentleman” earned Ric Hassani a nomination for Best Alternative Song at The Headies 2016.
7. Tiff by Simi (2014)
Before “Joromi” and “Duduke”, Simi was a gospel singer. “Tiff”, released in 2014, was the song that got her noticed outside church circles, and it was nominated for Best Alternative Song at The Headies 2015.
8. Be My Man by Aṣa (2010)
The lead single from Aṣa’s second album, Beautiful Imperfection, “Be My Man” came out in September 2010. The album, made with the French composer Nicolas Mollard, went platinum in 2011.
9. Point and Kill by Little Simz featuring Obongjayar (2021)
The London-based Nigerian singer Obongjayar joined Little Simz on “Point and Kill”, a single from her acclaimed album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.
10. Adore U by Fred again.. and Obongjayar (2023)
Obongjayar followed his 2022 debut album, Some Nights I Dream of Doors, which was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award, with this collaboration with the British producer Fred again… It showed how far an afro-soul voice can travel.
Find more artists in the AfroYard artist directory.
